Hike to the Martis Peak Fire Lookout

Hike to Martis Peak's 100 year old fire lookout and take in stunning views of Tahoe Basin.

This hike leads to a 100 year old fire lookout near the summit of Martis Peak with incredible views of North Lake Tahoe. There are two options to get to the peak:

Martis Peak Road - to get to this trailhead from Truckee, head south on Highway 267 for about 8 miles and look for a large pull off on the left side of the road. There may be a gate during the winter but the road is open for hiking. Follow this road, staying left at any forks and following the blue squares markers all the way to the fire lookout. This is a wide, paved road that is easy to follow, even with decent snow cover. If that is the case you may run into some snowshoers or cross country skiers.

Tahoe Rim Trail - the trailhead to the TRT is less than a mile south of the Martis Peak Road, look for signs for Brockway Summit and park there. This is a dirt trail that may be tougher to follow with snow, but doable none the less. This trail is also about one mile longer to Martis Peak than Martis Peak Road.

Both trails lead to the lookout but if you'd like an even better view, continue past the lookout about 500ft to the true summit. You came this far already!

If you're thinking about camping near the lookout, call the Forest Service Supervisor's Office for permit and availability details: (530) 543-2694.

Reviews

Hiked this in mid-June, and it was beautiful all the way up and back. Great views of the lake and mountains, peaceful meadows, and not too crowded. Total distance with the vista point and the Martis summit coming up from 267 was about 11 miles round trip.

Easy hike to follow. Amazing views when you get to the top. We went over Memorial weekend and it wasn't very crowded, but I can imagine this place gets packed later in the summer. If you're in the area, grab some wine, cheese, and crackers and get up there!